Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies — 🍪🙌🏻🤎These soft batch cookies are made with a combination of butter and cream cheese, which makes them extra rich and delicious! I like to make mine using a combination of chocolate chips and chunks, and you can even use M&M’s in these!
Table of Contents
Soft Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies (with Cream Cheese!)
I’ve been wanting to bake cream cheese into cookies for ages. I finally did. And I’m in love with the results.
I adapted my favorite Chocolate Chip and Chunk Cookies recipe and replaced some of the butter with cream cheese and am in love with the results.
My favorite recipe calls for 3/4 cup of butter, and for these soft batch chocolate chip cookies I used a combination of 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup cream cheese. You wouldn’t think that just a simple quarter-cup swap of butter for cream cheese would effect results that much, but it did.
These chocolate chip cream cheese cookies are so soft, moist, and with a richness to the dough like no other cookies I’ve tried.
Ingredients for Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
If you’ve never made chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese before, you’re in for a treat! You’ll need just a handful of pantry staples:
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
The steps for this chocolate chip cookie recipe with cream cheese couldn’t be simpler!
- Cream together the cream cheese, butter, sugars, and vanilla extract. Whip the mixture on medium-high speed until it’s light and fluffy. Don’t just mix it all together, it must be light and fluffy before moving onto the next step!
- Add in the dry ingredients and scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything gets incorporated.
- Scoop the cookie dough into large balls and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before baking.
- Bake the cookies for no more than 10 minutes, then let cool for 5 minutes on the baking tray before transferring to a wire rack.
Cookie FAQs
It makes them super soft and moist! In this particular recipe, the dough seems more buttery — which is ironic since there’s actually less butter used, not more. The cream cheese cookies are super soft without being cakey, and remind me of soft batch cookies. The edges are slightly chewy, and the thick interiors are soft, tender, and moist.
I can’t taste the cream cheese, but it adds depth, density, and richness that my regular chocolate chip cookies don’t have.
Use full-fat cream cheese in a block. Do NOT use light, fat-free, or a whipped cream cheese because your dough will become runny. I tried the recipe with some light cream cheese I had on hand, and the cookies baked thinner and spread.
You can use a hand mixer and a bowl if that’s all you have, but I prefer using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment because you can prepare other parts of the recipe while it’s busy mixing. I use the Kitchenaid 7-quart tilt head mixer, which you can get on Amazon. They’re worth the investment in my opinion!
Technically, you can omit the cornstarch, but your cookies won’t turn out as soft. To make these cream cheese chocolate chip cookies soft batch-style, the cornstarch is needed.
I made these as classic chocolate chip cream cheese cookies, but I bet you could add extra mix-ins if desired. Chopped nuts, M&M’s, or your favorite chopped up candy bar would all be good additions. Just be sure to add no more than 2 1/4 cups mix-ins total. 
Yes, if you want to make soft batch chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese you MUST chill the dough first. Make sure to chill your dough for at least 2 hours before you bake to ensure your cookies bake thick and puffy. Warm, limp dough bakes into limpy and wimpy cookies. I want my cookies to be thick, with puffy centers that are overflowing with chocolate.
I used a 2-inch cookie scoop to make my cookies because I like them really big. If you don’t have a cookie scoop, use a large spoon and your hands. Just try to make your cookies all the same size so they bake evenly!
Recipe Video Tutorial
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Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup cream cheese, softened*
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
- 2 ¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks**
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, cream cheese (measure it by smooshing it into a 1/4-cup measure), sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use an electric hand mixer and beat for at least 7 minutes).
- Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, optional salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
- Add chocolate chips and chunks, and beat momentarily to incorporate, or fold in by hand.
- Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping mounds (I made 28). Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly with your palm, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.
- Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat or spray with cooking spray and place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet).
- Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than 10 minutes as cookies will firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.***
- Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Cookies Made with Cream Cheese:
ALL OF MY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPES!
Cream Cheese Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies — Cream cheese keeps them super soft! Say hello to your new fave chocolate cookie!!
Black and White Cream Cheese Cookies — These cookies combine two favorites in one! Soft, moist, buttery, creamy Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies are paired with fudgy, intensely chocolaty, and not overly sweet Dark Chocolate Dark Brown Sugar Cookies.
Cream Cheese White Chocolate Chip Cookies — These soft and chewy white chocolate chip cookies use two special ingredients to achieve their pillowy texture: instant pudding mix and cream cheese!
Cream Cheese Cookies — Big, soft, buttery cookies with sweet and tangy cream cheese in the middle!! Oh my….Best thumbprints ever!!!
Softbatch Glazed Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies — Big, bold lemon flavor packed into super soft cookies thanks to the cream cheese!! Tangy-sweet perfection! Lemon lovers are going to adore these easy cookies!!
These didn’t turn out right for me. I guess the part about put “a mound” on the cookie sheet? Was that like a tablespoon or a quarter cup? I opted for the quarter cup size, since that would fit about 8 on the cookie pan. But the bottoms burnt while the tops were still uncooked. I tried to compensate by lowering the temperature to 325 and flipping them like pancakes and flattening them out some, but I had to cook them much longer, and they were brown on both sides. They tasted fine when they were finally done, but they definitely didn’t turn out like your photos.
All ovens and baking sheets vary and I have made every size of cookie known to man, just adjusting the baking time longer the bigger the mound is. If you’re baking a 1/4 cup amount of dough, then you should flatten them some so they cook through in the centers before the undersides brown. Baking is always a bit of trial and error and in your case, I would make the dough 1-2 tbsp each, bake for 8 mins at 350F and start watching closely from there to see if they need more time or not.
Made these for a cookie swap this weekend and everyone loved them. I received many requests for the recipe, so I gave them a print-out from your website. You have many new fans here in Idaho!!
This is now my go-to recipe. Can’t wait to try the twix recipe next!!
Thank you, and Happy Holidays!!
Thanks for the compliments and praise and glad everyone loved the cookies! Thanks for sharing my site info and keep me posted how the other recipes of mine that you try go!
I used this recipe today after being dissapointed in a few others that just fell flat. No pun intended, the cookies would look so good going in the oven and then come out very thin and flat. I’m not sure if it was the cream cheese or refrigerating the dough, or perhaps both, but either way my cookies came out amazing. I will be using this recipe for many more occasions! Thank you!
Glad my recipe delivered after others you tried didn’t! That’s nice to hear and that you’ll use it again many more times!
Just made these. I was reading the comments about them being flavorless. I noticed that you use a lot less salt in your recipie. I put in 1 tsp. of salt instead of the 1/4 tsp that you called for. Salt gives flavor. I bet if the gals that said they were flavorless would give it another try, they might find that would help. But then again, I like a good salt lick everyonce in awhile. :D
It’s such a personal think, salt. My family is very salt-sensitive and I can taste the tiniest bit of salt from a mile away and my family for health reasons also avoids salt, which is why I always encourage people to salt to taste. Glad you did just that and that you enjoyed the cookies :)
Would this work with Neufchâtel?? That’s what we normally have in the house.
I haven’t tried it in this recipe, but it probably will. Although cannot speak personally to using it. LMK if you do!
These cookies are amazing. I don’t make as many as you do but I think because I make mine slightly bigger. I love big cookies lol. I did have a question though. The rectangular chocolate, where did you get those? I just the regular kind but also love to get my on those you use in the recipe.
Thank you.
Glad you love these and I love making bigger cookies too – when I make these for myself and get lazy and dont want to roll out so many balls of dough, I make each ball bigger :)
The chunks…I have used every kind under the sun. Trader Joe’s, Nestle, Enjoy Life, or just regular chopped chocolate. I think the photographs show a hodgepodge or all those brands!
Hi, I was wondering if you could use chocolate cream cheese in place of regular cream cheese? They look really good.
I bet you could and I bet it would be AMAZING! Keep me posted!
These are fabulous!! I tried baking them without chilling the dough first, and found they turned out just fine. They didn’t flatten or even lose much of their shape. Still were most and delicious! Thanks for sharing! I’ll be making these for Christmas!
Glad to hear they turned out great even without chilling! Merry Xmas!
Thank you, Merry Christmas to you!
It doesn’t take that much more time to spell out CHRISTmas, I just hate that people X out the most important part of CHRISTmas. That said I can’t wait to try your cookies they look ddelicious.
X is Greek for Christ. It’s not removing Christ from Christmas. Just another way of writing it out. Xmas should be pronounced Christmas not exmas, because that’s how the X is pronounced in Greek.
I tried these cookies because they look amazing. I’m not to much of a baker but tried anyway and they went flat like regular cookies? I don’t know what I did wrong I did the recipe step by step. And even refrigerated overnight. HELP
Please see this post for cookie tips and tricks, i.e. Silpat, King Arthur flour, and more https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/11/the-best-oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
If you’re doing all those things and then still have flat cookies, write back :)
Made these tonight and they were amazing!!! So gooey and full of chocolatey goodness. Not too sweet, perfect consistency… I could go on. I made them with rice flour(for a Gluten intolerance) and they were still so good! Best cookie I’ve made so far and I’ve done a ton of experimenting with gluten free baking and it all ends up tasting not as good as ” the real thing”. I also liked how well they retained their height/shape. Thanks for this recipe. Will definitely be making these again and again.
Thanks for trying these and so glad they came out great for you, EVEN being GF, which I know as you do, isn’t easy. GF baking is soooo temperamental, especially cookies and I’m glad to hear these were a success and that you’ll make again and again!
Not sweet enough, dry and falling apart. I followed the recipe to a ‘T’ and the batch was not good. I was surprised that your recipe only called for 1/4 cup Sugar. All of my other recipes call for equal granulated and brown sugars. Is this a typo? My morsels didn’t even mix into the dough and looked wet. As a perfectionist, I am truly disappointed with this recipe.
I’m sorry that you were disappointed. I get so many comments every day from people telling me how much they loved these and they came out perfectly and that they’ll make them again and again. Sorry that you were’t one of them; and no typos here.
The recipe calls for a total of 1 cup sugar. 3/4 cup brown and 1/4 cup white.
I bet the choc. chip with cream cheese AND chopped maraschino cherries would be good too…
I made these the other day and honestly, they are the best chocolate chip cookie I have ever had!!! Can’t wait for Christmas dinner at my Moms. I’m sure these will be a huge hit! I’m excited to try the m&m cookies as well! Thank you for this!
Thanks for trying these! So glad you loved them and that they’re the best CCC’s you’ve ever had!! Such high praise! I have a brand new amazing M&M cookie recipe for Thursday of next week if you can wait that long otherwise I have 2 other recipes!
https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/01/soft-mm-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
Oh my goodness!! BEST COOKIES EVER!! I’ve made several batches of these already & they always disappear too quickly. :) I delivered some to a few families for Christmas and everybody is gushing over them. Seriously, I’ll never make plain ol’ chocolate chip cookies again. Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks, Becky, and glad you love these and sounds like everyone else does too! That’s awesome to hear AND that you’ll never make plain ol’ chocolate chip cookies again :)
I am muching these cookies while typing! It turned out great! I love my cookies chewy and these are perfect.
Thanks for sharing : )
Hi Averie,
First time baking chocolate chip cookies here … My quacky questions:
1. What brands/types of chocolate do you recommend us putting in?
2. Could I buy blocks of good dark chocolate from the store and chop them up? How big?
3. How do you make sure chocolate pieces do not sink to the bottom?
Quacky thanks!
QK
1. Really any. I use a variety of Trader Joe’s, chopped chocolate bars that I have, Nestle, Ghirardehli…I have used every choc chunk there is.
2. Yes, as big as you want to bite into.
3. It’s cookie dough, it really doesn’t ‘sink’.